Q & A: Prescott Klosner, of Herkimer County

Here are Prescott Klosner's answers to various questions regarding his run for state Supreme Court justice in the Fifth Judicial District.

ROCCO LaDUCA

Prescott (Scott) E. Klosner

Party lines: Republican

Age: 40

Residence: Ilion

Family: Wife, Jacy; three sons: Alex,15, Adam, 12, and Andrew, 9.

Law school: Syracuse University College of Law

Current title: Chief assistant district attorney, Herkimer County

Total years legal experience: 13

Question: In no more than a few sentences, please explain something unique about your experience, your goals, and/or your philosophical outlook that you believe sets you specifically apart from the other candidates. In other words, think if something that none of the other candidates is saying or can say about themselves.

Answer: I have extensive court room and jury trial experience, having been responsible for more than 1,000 felony cases over the course of my 10 year career as Herkimer County’s chief assistant district attorney. As a prosecutor, I have earned a 99 percent conviction rate and taken child molesters and violent felons off the streets. No other candidate can make that claim.

Question: If you are elected, what do you believe would be the biggest challenge to overcome as judge or in the judicial system?

Answer: The biggest challenge I expect to face as a Supreme Court Justice, at least initially, will be in shifting my perspective slightly, from arguing on behalf of one party, which I did as a prosecutor, to listening, reviewing and applying the law and appropriate legal principles fairly and impartially as a justice. Writing opinions and issuing decisions and rulings will be new territory for me and I look forward to using my extensive knowledge of the law and my court room and trial experience to meet this challenge.

Question: Tell the voters one defining thing that very few people might know about you.

Answer: One defining quality that people don’t know about me is that I entered the legal profession in order to make a positive contribution to society by standing up for the rights of victims of crime and representing the best interests of the people. By advocating for victims and fulfilling my mission to put violent criminals behind bars, I’ve made our world a little safer and our quality of life better.